SAN FRANCISCO — During one of the more disappointing performances of his Knicks career, Josh Hart got into a heated argument with Tom Thibodeau in the fourth quarter Saturday.
Hart, who scored zero points on seven shots, was spotted going back and forth with the coach during a timeout, with Thibodeau seated and angrily shouting at the standing player.
Both downplayed the exchange after the 97-94 defeat to the Warriors.
“You all know me. You know my feelings towards Thibs,” Hart said. “You’re not going to find a more loyal player. I love Thibs. I think that was just my frustration coming out with the flow of the game, my own individual performance.
“Yeah, I was just, you know, it was just something that just happened in the heat of the moment. I’m a competitor. Obviously, he’s a competitor. So sometimes those things happen. I don’t think it really — it doesn’t affect our relationship. It doesn’t show anything of what’s going on. It’s just two extremely competitive people in a fiery moment. I love Thibs. I love what he’s doing. And he’s putting us in the best position to be successful.”
Thibodeau agreed it was a “passionate moment.”
Assistant coach Rick Brunson intervened as the two were arguing.
“I love Josh,” Thibodeau said. “It was whatever to get us going, to try to get us going.”
Hart added that he’s been frustrated with his play without Jalen Brunson, who is out with a badly sprained ankle.
“Without No. 11, sometimes we’re not as organized,” Hart said. “One thing about us, the ball screen by myself is in more actions. Now, the role is a little bit different, more catch and shoot. I’m trying to figure out how to be effective in that way.”
The argument with Thibs comes a few days after Mikal Bridges criticized Thibodeau’s minutes distribution.
Those two met before Wednesday’s game against the Blazers, according to a source, and reportedly cleared the air.
Bridges finished with 19 points in 38 minutes against the Warriors.
The ball pressure from Miles McBride, who is logging more minutes with Brunson shelved, has been a boon to the defense.
It was evident Saturday as McBride shadowed Steph Curry, who had 28 points but shot just 8-for-20 with three turnovers.
“A lot. The physicality, too. He plays a lot bigger than his size,” Thibodeau said of McBride. “He can guard multiple positions. You can do a bit more switching with him. But he has great anticipation, and I think the ability to pick up the ball full-court is huge for us.”
In the first three games without Brunson, the Knicks were 2-1 with the fourth-best defensive rating in the NBA. McBride’s defense also has taken a little burden off Mikal Bridges, who has responded offensively with greater efficiency.
